Tag Archives: 2012 master gardener plant sale

Gathering up some gardening information for us here in Northern Nevada, especially the Truckee Meadows area. 🙂

~~~~~~~BIRD NOTE! 🙂 Offer birds in your area with high energy foods like peanuts and suet…as the natural food supply is at a low this time of the year. Place nesting materials in your yard. Offer fresh water.
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Annual Master Gardener Plant Fair will be held on May 19th from 7-11:30 am. Same place…over at the County Cooperative Extension 4955 Energy Way, Reno.
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Find out how to identify and solve plant problems. Get tips on caring for your northern Nevada landscape, trees and gardens. Cosponsored by Washoe County Regional Parks and Open Space and the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. Free with no reservations required.

March 20: The Keys to Successful Vegetable Gardening
March 27: Roses for Reno

• To control weeds this summer apply pre-emergent herbicides thru March to prevent annual weeds from germinating. Pre-emergents don’t harm anything already growing, but will prevent weeds from germinating.

• Start transplants indoors of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant

• Prune roses when they have 3 pairs of leaves at each bud

• Check your tools and get your mower serviced and blades sharpened!

• After cleaning up flower beds apply a slow-release organic fertilizer for healthier plants this season.

• As the soil thaws, be sure to water dry areas, especially evergreens.

• Early spring is the best time for renovation & clean-up in the yard & garden. Broken & rubbing branches as well as sucker growth are easily spotted & removed at this time. Thinning overgrown shrubs by removing the oldest branches to encourage new growth is also easier before new foliage emerges.

• As new growth begins in the perennial & shrub borders, clean-up of last year’s stems is easily done. Application of Sustane fertilizer 5#/100 sq.ft. & Preen is done now (Forsythia will be in bloom) & again in late July.

• Shrubby type perennials (sub-shrubs), such as Butterfly Bushes, Blue Mist Spirea, Russian Sage & Beautyberry should be cut down now to 6-8” as these plants bloom on new wood. Ornamental grasses also need to be cut down to 6”. To make cutting grasses easier, tie a rope tight near the base of the plant & cut below it.

• Roses, Lavender & Clematis are plants that should not be pruned until new growth begins, generally in late April or May. Roses need to have dead & diseased branches removed as well as crossing stems to open up center for good air circulation. Cut lavender back to 4-6”. Summer & fall blooming clematis that bloom on new wood need to be cut down to 12”. Spring blooming varieties are best thinned & removal of dead or broken branches done.

• Spade edge borders need to be cut in spring & again mid-summer to keep grasses from encroaching into beds. Even brick borders will look sharper if edged at least once every year.

• Be sure wood mulches are top dressed early, before plants are up & in the way. Mulch should be 2-3” deep, but tapered down at trunks of trees & shrubs.

• Fall-blooming perennials as well as hostas & daylilies can be dug & divided in half or thirds (depending on size) as soon as they are up 6” to be replanted for blooms later in the season.

• Do your annual Spring Pond Clean-Out while temperatures are low. This causes less stress on the fish and gives you a chance to control algae and aquatic weeds early

Fresh herbs are good for you, good for the birds, and good for the eye. Learn where and how to incorporate them into your garden or containers and how to cook with them.

Rose Pruning Time
Begins: Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 10:00 AM PST

Master Gardener and “rose guru” Charlene Oakes will discuss when (April) and how to prune your roses and demonstrate proper techniques. She will also share other care tips for having spectacular roses, especially if you’ve never grown roses before; you’ll learn how easy they can be when the right varieties are chosen.

Good Bugs, Bad Bugs
Begins: Saturday, March 31, 2012 at 10:00 AM PST

Yes, there are good bugs and they are your garden’s friends — the trick is knowing what they do and how to identify them. You’ll also learn how to identify the bad bugs and how to control them. Join Moana Nursery’s Jim Stanton and Bonide’s John Ford for this informative seminar.

March 1st to March 15th, 2012
Moana Nursery Teammates say, “For successful highdesert gardening, NOW is the time to …

General Garden & Lawn Care:

Apply pre-emergent weed control to prevent germination of weeds and unwanted plants in your landscape.
Aerate your lawn, and if necessary, dethatch.
Feed lawn with Lawn Fertilizer.
Prevent crabgrass and feed lawn.
Rake up remaining leaves and debris, but leave a little for nesting material for the birds.
Sharpen tools and pruners – drop off at Moana Nursery by Monday and pick up late Tuesday.

Perennial & Annual Care:

Cut back, close to ground, all ornamental grasses and perennials.
Gently press back any perennials that heaved out of the ground over winter.
Plant cool-seaon flowers.
Plant summer blooming bulbs.

The Drycreek Garden Company is offering FREE NATIVE GRASS SEED to the victims of the Washoe Fire (proof of residency is required) this Saturday, March 17th. This will be at the Old Washoe City location only from 8:30 to 11:00 am.